Archery big game seasons open Aug. 1

Provided by the Nevada Department of Wildlife

Nevada’s archery pronghorn antelope season opens Aug. 1 with most archery deer seasons not far behind on Aug. 10. Opening day is an exciting time for hunters who have waited all year to get back in the field and with a little preparation and planning the odds of success can be greatly improved. Here are some opening day archery hunting tips that hunters can use to improve their chances of success.

Get sighted in: Arrows/broadheads must be checked and you must shoot your bow with the broadheads you’ll use on the hunt to ensure that they are sighted in and working properly.

Repair or replace damaged items: Hunting clothing and accessories should be located and thoroughly checked before opening day to assure everything is in working order and damaged or missing items can be repaired or replaced.

Use cover scents: The influx of hunters and their strange scents can cause a lot of disturbance. As a result animals will likely be quite wary of human scent. Use common sense to keep your hunting clothing as scent free as possible and use natural or commercial cover scents and scent eliminators.

Get out early: As hunters come pouring into the field animals will change their normal routines, become less active during daylight hours and move to more remote areas. A hunter who is out in their hunting area before dawn will be in good position to see a nice buck escaping other hunters who wait until daylight to start into the woods.

Bowhunter Education

Bowhunter Education is not required in Nevada, but it is if you wish to go bowhunting in the following states or Canadian provinces where IBEP certification is mandatory.

Alaska

Connecticut

Idaho

Maine

Montana

Nebraska

New Brunswick

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

Nova Scotia

Quebec

Rhode Island

South Dakota

Vermont

Nevada Department of Wildlife is now offering IBEP approved online bowhunter education courses that teach bowhunters the fundamentals of safe and responsible archery hunting and an appreciation and respect for the environment in which they hunt. Students must be at least 12 years old to take the Nevada Bowhunter Education Course online.

Step 2: Attend a field day qualifier. Classes are available through NDOW Hunter Education. Class dates and locations can be found on our website here.

While there are no special education requirements for bowhunters, keep in mind that all hunters born after January 1, 1960 are required to provide proof of Hunter Education, in order to purchase a Nevada hunting license.

Per Nevada Law, (NAC 503.144), during an archery hunt it is illegal for a person to carry any firearm into the field while hunting. For archery hunts, a longbow (includes any recurved bow or compound bow) and arrow must, in the hands of the user, be capable of throwing a 400-grain arrow 150 yards over level terrain. Arrows used in hunting big game animals must have hunting tips at least 7/8 inch wide. There are a number of archery and any legal weapon hunts offered throughout the year. Animals that can be taken by longbow and arrow include those desginated as small game mammals, game birds, migratory game birds, turkey and big game in designated archery and any legal weapon hunt seasons. Check our seasons and regulations page for more information. http://www.nbef.org.

Online Bow Hunting Education

Just like the Traditional Bowhunter course, the Online Bowhunter course is composed of two parts. The only difference between the Traditional and Online course is that the study and chapter review requirements of “Today’s Bowhunter” for the online course, is completed independently on the internet. After successfully passing the Online Field Day Qualifier Exam on the internet, you must attend a Field Day specifically designed for online students

There are a few EASY steps to enroll in an Online Bowhunter Education course.

To complete the online portion of the Online Bowhunter Education course, you will need an adequate computer, printer, and Internet access.

Check the online field day course schedule to ensure that one of the field days fits in to your schedule before committing to an online course. The link to the field day schedule is at the bottom of this page.

Study the material in Today’s Bowhunter and complete the chapter review questions. Re-study any material you may have answered incorrectly.

When you have studied all the chapters, take the Practice Test as many times as you like, “free of charge” to ensure you’ve mastered the course material. A different set of questions is presented each time you take the Practice Test.

To become eligible for admittance to a Field Day, take the 50 question Field Day Qualifier Exam. There is a $30.00 charge for the online exam. This fee is collected whether you pass or fail. A score of 80% is required for passing the exam.

Upon passing the Field Day Qualifier Exam, you can print out your official NBEF/IBEP Field Day Qualifier Certificate. Sign up online for a Field Day event in your area. The Field Day will include a short review of Nevada specific issues, field course demonstrations, shooting and blood trailing exercise with a certified instructor.

The student must successfully complete the online test, blood trailing course, and shooting skill section to be certified